Chapters (51)
- Cover
- Praise for Sara Shepard
- Also by Sara Shepard
- Dedication
- PART ONE
- —
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- PART TWO
- Piper
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Piper
- Eighteen
- Piper
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Piper
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Piper
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Piper
- Thirty-Four
- Epilogue
- Acknowledgments
- About the Author
- What’s next onyour reading list?
There had to be an answer. There had to be a better way. Ronnie didn’t know what it was except to plunge her hand in her purse and practically throw all the money in her wallet in her sister’s direction. “The motel. Just a night or two. Just to see how it goes. And I’ll be standing by, if you need anything. Please.” She licked her lips. “Kids are hard, Vanessa.”
Vanessa’s eyes flashed. “You don’t think I know?”
“No, I’m just saying—she’s four. It’s hard to reason with her, but at the same time, she understands a lot. And it’s hard to get her to sleep.”
“Not going!” Esme screamed again. “No!”
Vanessa’s features were scrunched in the middle of her face, which made her look like a prune. But after a moment, she blew air upward, sending her stringy bangs aloft. She grabbed the bills and stuffed them in her pocket. “Jesus, fine,” she said. “Two days. Make the arrangements. But we won’t need you. We’ll be okay on our own. You’ll see.”
“Okay,” Ronnie gushed. “Good.” It amazed her how grateful she felt for just this, how low the bar had become. “Okay, I’ll call them now.”
She dropped to her knees next to Esme. “Baby,” she said. “You’re going to spend time with . . . your auntie . . . mommy.” She didn’t know what to call Vanessa. “It’s only for a few days. And I’ll be close!”
“She smells!” Esme pointed at Vanessa. “That mean lady smells!”
Vanessa reached for Esme’s hand. “That’s not nice. Now c’mon. We’re getting the rest of your toys.”
She dragged Esme to her feet and walked her down the hall. Well, lugged her down the hall was more like it. It took every ounce of strength in Ronnie’s body not to tackle Vanessa. Esme bellowed for a little longer, but once she got into her room, she quieted down. In moments, Ronnie could hear her talking to Vanessa in a normal tone, probably pointing out her favorite things.
Esme’s sudden placidness hurt the most of all.
• • •
It was over fast: Esme’s things packed up, Esme loaded into the car, Esme breaking down again and crying for Ronnie, and Ronnie trying to muscle her way into the back seat with the little girl but Vanessa saying, calmly, that if Ronnie did that, she’d regret it. People were already giving them curious glances on the street. If Ronnie called more attention to this situation, it would make things worse.